TDP livid with NDTV's Andhra poll survey

Hyderabad, Aug 28 (IANS) The Telugu Desam Party (TDP) in Andhra Pradesh has rejected a survey by NDTV news channel, which forecasts a sweep by YSR Congress Party in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections in the state.

The TDP, the main opposition party, Tuesday said the survey had no credibility as NDTV has a contract with Sakshi media group owned by YSR Congress leader Y.S. Jaganmohan Reddy.

TDP leader Revant Reddy said the survey has undermined the media's journalistic values. He said the party would lodge a complaint with the Editors' Guild of India and News Broadcasters' Association.

"It is designed to promote one party and target another," remarked TDP chief N. Chandrababu Naidu and former chief minister. "Why the survey was conducted only in Andhra Pradesh and not in Karnataka, which is heading for polls?" he asked.

Without naming NDTV, Naidu claimed that the channel works as a consultancy for Sakshi and receives a huge amount of money every year.

"There is a contradiction. One the one hand, the media says corruption is the biggest issue the country is facing but on the other, it is predicting a victory for a corrupt man," Naidu said in an obvious reference to the survey's finding that 48 percent people prefer Jaganmohan Reddy as chief minister.

Only 18 percent respondents believe Naidu will be the best chief minister.

Jaganmohan Reddy, MP and son of late chief minister Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, is currently in jail in connection with an illegal assets case.

According to the survey, the YSR Congress Party will bag half of the 42 Lok Sabha seats in the state, the Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) will not get even a single seat, the Congress party will get nine and two will go to others.